Our Leadership

Dr Daniel Muyanja is the Director Clinical Services at the JCRC. He is a physician by training and oversees all the clinical units that are directly concerned with patient care and management. He has extensive experience in the care and management of patients with HIV and is actively involved in clinical practice at the Centre.

Dr Muyanja also oversees new frontier services at the JCRC, most notably the apheresis service and the soon to be established Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. He is a co-investigator and sub investigator on a number of studies running out of the directorate. He is a member of the Global Gene Therapy Initiative (GGTI) which is an alliance of various experts working towards the development of and enabling access to cell and gene therapy products in low and middle-income countries including Uganda.

Dr. Abel Nkolo is a medical doctor and seasoned public health specialist with over 25 years of experience in clinical and public health program implementation. His expertise spans TB, TB/HIV, health systems strengthening, and quality improvement. He has served in high-impact managerial and technical roles across local governments, NGOs, the private sector, Uganda’s National TB Program, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

As of May 21, 2025, Dr. Nkolo assumed the role of Regional Project Coordinator for the USAID LPHS Kigezi & Lango project at JCRC, where he supports the rollout of life-saving interventions across Ankole, Acholi, Kigezi, and Lango.

From March to May 2025, he worked in the private sector with Molten Rock, leading efforts to establish a public health-focused healthcare portfolio. During this time, Molten Rock acquired Bukesa Medical Center to expand access to smart healthcare solutions.

Prior to that, from October 2023 to March 2025, he served as Senior Technical Advisor at URC, supporting infectious disease control and localization strategies in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

From July 2022 to September 2023, Dr. Nkolo was Chief of Party for the USAID/RHITES North Acholi project. He provided strategic leadership in planning, implementation, and project closeout, while serving as the primary liaison with USAID, local governments, and partners.

Between 2017 and 2022, he led the USAID/Defeat TB project as Chief of Party, achieving remarkable results: increasing TB case notification from 61% to 102%, TB treatment success from 69% to 87%, and IPT uptake among people living with HIV from 14% to 88%. He also introduced a virtual public health program to expand TB awareness and support.

Earlier, from 2014 to 2017, Dr. Nkolo was Country Advisor for TB at WHO Uganda, where he played a central role in rolling out the global End TB Strategy and advancing reforms in health financing and systems strengthening.

He is an accomplished Finance and Administration professional with 19 years of experience in both National and International organisations plus Government of Uganda Authorities. He possesses senior level experience in Financial Management, Accounting, Audit and compliance, Administration, Procurement, and Project Management. Samuel holds an MBA in Management, a Bachelor’s degree of Commerce in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA U) Member. He is a Certified Tax Advisor with expansive knowledge in both Ugandan and International Taxation. Samuel has worked on multiple donor-funded projects, such as USAID-PEPFAR, CDC, DFID, EU, Royal Kingdom of Netherlands, CBM, DGF and many other development partners.

He has served in the following Capacities: Director of Finance and Administration at JCRC, Finance and Operations Manager at USAID LPHS Ankole, Finance Manager at RHITES-SW (EGPAF), Head of Finance and Administration at CoRSU Rehabilitation Services, Finance and Administration Manager at Independent Development Fund under DGF, Senior Accountant at SNV Netherlands Development Organization, Audit & Compliance Officer at Child Fund International, Finance Officer at Compassion International and a Tax Audit officer at Uganda Revenue Authority.

Benson is the Director of Laboratory Services at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), he oversees laboratory testing and operations activities across multiple sites, ensuring compliance with GCP and GCLP and protocol guidelines. He has vast knowledge and skills that he has used to the accredit clinical laboratories using CAP accreditation checklists for JCRC Lubowa Laboratories and other laboratories in Uganda including JCRC’s Centres of Excellence. His leadership extends to mentoring sscientists, preparing labs for international accreditation, and advancing quality management systems in clinical research laboratories.

He is an experienced Medical Laboratory Scientist specializing in Molecular Biology and Immunology, with over 20 years of expertise in clinical research related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, and other infectious and non-communicable diseases. He holds a PhD in Immunology from Makerere University, along with multiple degrees in Molecular Biology and immunology, and Biomedical Laboratory Technology. He is a voting member of the ACTG/IMPAACT Laboratory Technical Committee and a former member of the Cure-Technical Scientific Group, he is involved in high-level protocol reviews and development of Laboratory Operational Manuals (LOP).

Dr. Herny Mugerwa is a medical doctor and an epidemiologist with over 10 years of experience in both clinical care management and research conduct people living with HIV/AIDS and as well as other related medical conditions like tuberculosis (TB). He is currently the director of research at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), where he oversees and supervises the coordination of all the research activities in the institution to ensure that they are conducted in accordance with the respective protocols and that both locally and internationally accepted regulations are adhered to. He seeks and promotes collaborations / partnerships with other research entities both locally and internationally.

Henry is a member of the JCRC – Research and Ethics Committee (JCRC-REC) and a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics as well as the East Africa Health Research Journal. As a researcher, he is / has been an investigator as a Principal investigator, co-principal investigator or as a sub-investigator on a number of studies which include the NIH funded studies; EDCTP funded studies as well as Pharma studies investigating new interventional products in HIV and other non-HIV medical

Drollah currently serves as Deputy Executive Director Finance and Operations at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC). She is a seasoned Finance and Accounting professional leader, Charted Accountant with ACCA UK, FCCA, CPA Uganda, and an expert in Management, with over 25 years’ experience in managing the financial and operational aspects of various organizations and have served at different levels and grown from scratch to managerial levels. She is a seasoned leader with accomplished deliverables and achievements from different organizations, with vast experience in working, growing and impacting teams ranging from start-up through multinational and international complex organizations, and diverse industries. She is a strategic thinker who thrives in fast-paced, high-stakes environments, working collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

Dr. Ssali is the Deputy Executive Director of Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC). In this role, Dr. Ssali leads efforts that continuously strengthen Research and Clinical Services. He is a physician involved in the practice and teaching of HIV–medicine, Internal medicine and Hematology at the JCRC and Makerere University College of Health Sciences. He has over three decades of experience as a Physician specializing in Internal Medicine and Hematology. For the past 21 years he has been providing care and treatment for People Living with HIV, Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and other medical conditions.

He is involved in operational, clinical and epidemiological trials of HIV treatment. He is investigator on various studies including the ACTG–Network studies, HIV reservoir studies, paediatric dose-finding studies on Rilpivirine, studies investigating the effect of antiretroviral therapy on lymphatic tissue among PLHIV in Uganda, and protocols in development for cell and gene therapy trials for both HIV and SCD. He is a member of the Global Gene Therapy Initiative (GGTI) which is an alliance of various experts working towards the development of and enabling access to cell and gene therapy products in low and middle-income countries including Uganda, a Member of ASH.

Dr. Cissy is the Executive Director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) and the Director for the JCRC College of American Pathologists (CAP) certified laboratories. She is an experienced specialist medical doctor, vaccinologist, and Public Health expert with over 27 years of experience in conducting and coordinating AIDS research and care for patients.

She is one of the pioneers in prescribing ART in sub-Saharan Africa and has been at the forefront of scaling up HIV treatment in Uganda, including field work and extension of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to all the districts in Uganda. She spearheaded the development of the JCRC state-of-the-art CAP Accredited clinical and research laboratory at JCRC, equipped to perform a variety of tests and research studies including molecular biology, HIV resistance, Tuberculosis, HIV vaccine trials, and pharmacokinetic studies, among others.

She has been the Principal Investigator and Co-investigator for operational, clinical, and epidemiological trials of HIV treatment and associated infections including TB, as well as intervention studies aimed at preventing HIV transmission and preparation for HIV vaccines. She is the site PI for the Gilead Sciences Inc. studies and Co-PI for the JCRC Clinical Research Site (CRS) of the ACTG network.

Dr. Cissy is a founder member of The Global Gene Therapy Initiative (GGTI), which was formed to tackle the barriers to LMIC inclusion in gene therapy development, and she is working with various stakeholders to identify and address key areas requisite to the successful implementation of Gene Therapy in developing countries.

Currently, Dr. Cissy also serves as the International Vice Chair of the Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally (ACTG) for HIV/AIDS and Other Infections, a prestigious role that highlights her leadership and dedication to advancing global health through cutting-edge research and clinical trials.

FCCA. Drollah N. SSebagala is a Deputy Executive Director Finance & Operations with over 20 years of experience. She has worked on various donor- funded projects and has focused on strategic management and community development initiatives. She has also worked as a tax consultant, treasurer for Women Advancing in Microfinance, and as Regional Finance Director for Eastern Africa Grain Council and Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung Africa Limited.

Dr. Francis Ssali, a physician with expertise in HIV- medicine, internal medicine, and haematology, is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Physicians. He is also a member of the Uganda Ministry of Health National ART Committee, National HIV-Drug Resistance Committee, and 3rd- line ART Committee.

Dr. Cissy Kityo Mutuluuza, Executive Director of the JCRC and Board member, is a specialist medical doctor, vaccinologist, and public health expert with over 30 years of experience in conducting and coordinating AIDS research and care for HIV patients. She is a pioneer in Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Africa and has been at the forefront of scaling up HIV treatment in Uganda. Dr. Mutuluuza is the site PI for Gilead Sciences Inc. studies and Co-PI for the JCRC Clinical Research Site (CRS) of the ACTG network. She is also a member of the AIDS Task force in Uganda and has been involved in planning and writing the first strategic plan for increasing access to care and ARVs.

Dr. Jessica Jitta is a medical doctor with over 30 years of experience in pediatrics and child health, currently a senior researcher at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. They served as the pioneer director of the Child Health and Development Centre, a interdisciplinary research unit aimed at improving women and children’s health and welfare.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Ambrose K. Musinguzi is a board member with over 25 years of experience in medical care, has held positions at MBchB, MMED, Joint Staff Health Services, UPDF, and the National Drug Authority, and has been a member of the Joint Clinical Research Centre since 2018.

He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), ACCA, and has held various positions in various organizations. He has served as the chairman of the board of directors for various organizations, including Irene Gleeson Foundation, African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation Limited, Five Talents Uganda, Luwum Investments Limited, Uganda Insurance Regulatory Authority, Audit Committee member in various ministries, and member of the Town and Country Planning Board.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Laws, Social Sciences, Business Management, Legal Practice, and Msc from Makerere University. He is a Commercial Court Accredited Mediator, a Professional Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and a Rotarian with over 20 years of experience in legal, management, and investment consultancy.

Professor Charles Ibingira is a professor of Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, has served as Principal, Dean, Associate Dean, and Head of the Department of Anatomy/Medical Illustration. He has published on Hernia, Mesh, and Cerebrovascular Trauma and sits on various boards. He is also a member of the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa.

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